Conventionally, various training apparatuses that are used for patients having a handicap on any of motor functions so as to recover a muscle force of any of portions, such as a hand, a leg, a trunk, or a neck, have been developed. Moreover, in order to assist daily motions of elder people having weakened physical strength or to reduce physical loads of a caregiver, various apparatuses, such as a walking assist apparatus, a lift device for use in going-up and down stairs, or a holding-use lift device, have been developed for a purpose of assisting muscle forces.
In these devices, a technique in which, by allowing a user to put an apparatus on, the user can use the apparatus to assist his or her muscle force, has been proposed, for example, in JP-A No. 2001-286519 (Patent Document 1) or JP-A No. 2001-276101 (Patent Document 2).
The apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with an actuator for applying an assisting force in a bending direction to a joint portion of the user, control means for controlling movements of the actuator, and a pair of attaching units installed on a two sides of the actuator. In accordance with this technique, by operating the actuator, a motion assisting process for bending and extending the joint can be achieved.
The apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 is provided with an attaching unit that is flexible, has a cylindrical shape and encloses a joint portion of the user to be tightly made in contact therewith, and an actuator that is integrally formed on a peripheral portion of the attaching unit. In this technique also, by bending the attaching unit by operating the actuator, a motion assisting process for bending and extending a joint can be achieved.
Moreover, JP-A No. 2006-294 (Patent Document 3) has disclosed a power assist apparatus and a power assist glove that are attached to the hands of the user.
This apparatus is provided with a tubular actuator that is curved when a fluid is supplied to a fluid demand unit so that the inner pressure is increased, and an attaching unit used for attaching the actuator to a body in accordance with the joint, and by filling the actuator with a fluid, the actuator is deformed so that the joint is bent or extended.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-286519
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-276101
Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-294